Self-loading coil carrier

ABSTRACT

A trailer carrier for in-plant roadway transport of heavy material adapted to be lifted and carried with ram or hook means has a pull yoke connected to a pair of draft beams. For coil transport a ram is mounted between and below the draft beams with its open end rearward. For transport of scrap boxes or like containers provided with trunnions, a rearwardly-opening hook is provided at the rear end of each draft beam. A wheel assembly is mounted on each side of a rack or frame which straddles the load and is pivotally mounted between the draft beams. The rack can be rocked about its pivot axis, which is spaced from the axis of the wheels, from a traveling position in which the wheel axis is spaced below the pivot axis a distance sufficient to raise the ram or hooks well above the ground to a loading or unloading position in which the wheel axis is forward of the pivot axis so that the load rests on the ground.

UnitedSt'ates Patent 1 1 Brock I SELF-LOADING COIL CARRIER [76] Inventor: Gibson E. Brock, RD. 5 Persimman Rd., Sewickley, Pa. 15143 22] Filed: Jan. 22, 1974 211 App]. No.: 435,442

[52] U.S. Cl 214/130 C, 214/390, 214/D1G. 3,

- 2l4/DlG. 4, 254/124, 280/4323 [51] Int. Cl. B66c 23/00 [58] Field of Search 214/390, 392, 394, 396,

214/130 C, DIG. 3, DIG. 4, DIG. 1, 670, 671, 672, 673, 674, 660; 280/4323, 81 R;

254/8 R, 8 B, 8 C, 124

[451 Feb. 4, 1975 attorney, Agent, or Firm-Buell, Blenko and Ziesenheim [57] ABSTRACT A trailer carrier for in-plant roadway transport of heavy material adapted to be lifted and carried with ram or hook means has a pull yoke connected to a pair of draft beams. For coil transport a ram is mounted between and below the draft beams with its open end rearward. For transport of scrap boxes or like containers provided with trunnions, a rearwardlyopening hook is provided at the rear end of each draft beam. A wheel assembly is mounted on each side of a rack or frame which straddles the load and is pivotally mounted between the draft beams. The rack can be rocked about its pivot axis, which is spaced from the axis of the wheels, from a traveling position in which the wheel axis is spaced below the pivot axis a distance sufficient to raise the ram or hooks well above the ground to a loading or unloading position in which the wheel axis is forward of the pivot axis so that the load rests on the ground.

9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 41915 $863,785

SHEET 2 OF I 5 Fig.9.

PATENTED FEB 4W5 SHEET 4 0F 5 SELF-LOADING COIL CARRIER This invention relates to trailer apparatus for inplant roadway transport of heavy material in the form of coils or other configurations adapted to be lifted by a ram or hook means. It is more particularly concerned with such apparatus having a ram or hook means which is automatically lowered to enter the eye of a coil or engage the trunnions of a container resting on the ground, and then is automatically raised to a traveling position. My apparatus is well suited to the handling of coils of metal strip such as steel strip or skelp, and is also adapted to handle scrap boxes or similar containers for loose material. It will be described hereinafter in these contexts.

Mills for the continuous production of steel strip conventionally produce both hot-rolled strip and coldrolled strip as well as relatively narrow-material, both hot and cold rolled, for later bending and welding into pipe. This narrow material is known as skelp. All this strip is delivered from the mill in coil form and from the mill on is handled in this form both by the steel maker and by its customers. Those coils weigh as much as 70 tons. The length of the coil may be the full width of the strip mill, up to 80 inches or so, and the coil diameter may be 6 feet or more. Where overhead cranes are available, the coils are conventionally handled by C- hooks, the ram of which is inserted in the eye or hole of the coil. By this means the coils are lifted into railroad cars for transit. In areas with no overhead cranes the coils are handled by ram tractors, the ram of which projects from the front of the tractor and can be raised and lowered. As the load is cantilevered these tractors must be counterweighted. The bulk of the weight of a loaded tractor therefore is carried by the front wheels and tire load considerations limit the capacity of the tractor.

.The scrap boxes for which my apparatus is adapted will be described in a following paragraph. They are normally lifted and carried by overhead crane.

It is an object of my invention to provide a coil or scrap box-carrying trailer which carries its load between its axle and that of the tractor. It is another object to provide such a trailer which automatically picks up its load and after carrying it to its destination automatically puts it down. It is a further object to provide such a trailer that supports its load from both ends. Other objects of my invention will appear in the course of the description thereof which follows.

My apparatus is intended for use with conventional heavy-duty two-wheel tractors used for large-earthmoving equipment. My trailer comprises the usual pull yoke, torque tube and draft beams. For coil transport a ram is mounted between and below the draft beams with its open end rearward. The trailer wheel assemblies are individually mounted in a rack or frame which straddles the load and is pivotally mounted on the rear ends of the draft beams. The rack rocks on the pivots through an arc of about 90 degrees from a traveling position in which the wheel axis is below the pivot axis or slightly rearward thereof and spaced therefrom a distance sufficient to raise the ram and its load well above the groundto a loading position in which the wheel axis is forward of thepivot axis and only slightly below it so that the load rests on the ground. For scrap boxes and the like the ram is replaced by hook means which engage trunnions or similar projections on the box.

Embodiments of my apparatus presently preferred by me are illustrated in the attached figures to which reference is now made.

FIG. 1 is a partial plan of my coil-carrying apparatus in its traveling position,

FIG. 2 is a partial plan of my coil-carrying apparatus in its loading and unloading position,

FIG. 3 is a partial end elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a partial end elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is an elevation, partly broken away, of the apparatus of FIGS. l-4 showing it in solid lines in its traveling position and in broken lines in its loading and unloading position,

FIG. 6 is a partial plan of my scrap box-carrying apparatus in its traveling position,

FIG. 7 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of my scrap box-carrying apparatus in its traveling position,

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of my scrap box-carrying apparatus in its loading and unloading position,

FIG. 9 is a partial end elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 7, and

FIG. 10 is a partial end elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 8.

My apparatus is pulled by a conventional tractor 10 which need not be described further than to say that it is provided with an upright coupling member 11 which is mounted on the tractor on a longitudinally disposed pivot 12. Coupling member 11 is coupled to pull yoke 13 of my apparatus by vertical pivot means 14. Steering of the tractor-trailer assembly is conventionally effected by hydraulic cylinders 16, one on each side of pull yoke 13, attached at one end to that yoke and connected at the other ends with coupling member 11.

Pull yoke 13 of my coil-carrying apparatus is affixed centrally to transverse torque tube 17. An upwardly bowed draft beam 18 is rigidly attached to each end of torque tube 17 and extends rearwardly thereof. The rear ends of each draft beam 18 journal a pivot bearing 19 on which is mounted a load-straddling rack 21 between the draft beams. The highest portion of 15 of draft beam 18 is approximately mid-way between torque tube 17 and pivot bearing 19. Affixed to each draft beam 18 on its inner surface near pivot bearing 19 is a stop element 25 for a purpose to be described. Rack 21 comprises a side member 22 on each side extending forwardly from pivot 19 when my apparatus is in its traveling position as projection 23 and downwardly from pivot 19 as leg 24. Projection 23 and leg 24 are inclined to each other at an angle in the neighborhood of degrees. At the lower end of each leg 24 is a bearing 26 in which is journaled an independent rubber-tired wheel assembly 20 including a brake. Wheel assemblies 20 are outside legs 24. The side members are connected by a cross member 27 attached to the ends of projections 23.

Spaced from torque tube 17 and attached to draft beams 18 is cross-member 28 which is provided with upright spaced bearing blocks 30. In each bearing block 30 is journaled a stub shaft 31 carrying on its inner end a crank arm 38. The outer end of one stub shaft 31 is coupled to a fluid operated motor 32 which is also mounted on cross member 28. Crank arms 38 are connected at their outer ends by crank pin 41 which pivotally connects them with link 37. The other end of link 37 is pivotally connected to clevis 42 attached to cross member 27 of rack 21.

From each end of cross member 28 a strut 44 extends downwardly and inwardly, supporting at their junction a ram 45 which projects rearwardly therefrom below draft beams 18 and equidistant therefrom. Ram 45 is cylindrical and of a diameter adapted to enter the eye or hole of a coil of strip. lt iscantilevered from struts 44 and terminates in an outer end 46 which extends to a position below pivot bearings 19. Mounted between draft beams 18 so as to pivot at its ends about the axis of pivot bearings 19 independently of rack 21 is a bowed latch member 47. At its center latch 47 is formed into a collar 48 which fits over the end 46 of ram 45 when the latch is rotated into its lowermost position. It is rotated from that position to an upper position in which it clears ram 45 and coils thereon by a fluid motor 50 carried by draft beams 18. The motor shaft is fitted with a sprocket 51 which is aligned with a sprocket 52 affixed to latch member 47 and drives sprocket 52 by means of a roller chain 53 trained around them.

Fluid motors 32 and 50 are connected through appropriate valves and conduits, not shown, to a source of fluid under pressure, also not shown.

At the wheel assembly ends of each leg 24 of rack 21 is fitted a quadrant 54 coaxial with wheel bearing 26 and having a radius less than that of the tire tread under normal load by an amount which will be indicated hereinafter. When my apparatus is in its traveling position, one straight edge of the quadrant 54 is approximately vertical and the quadrant extends rearwardly of leg 24.

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-5 will now be described, also with reference to those Figures. When my apparatus is in its traveling position, crank arms 38 are in their extreme forward position in line with link 37, as is seen in FIGS. 1 and 5. To put my apparatus in its loading position fluid is admitted to fluid operated motor 32 so as to rotate it counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 5. This motion is transmitted to crank arms 38. The rotary motion of those arms causes link 37 to move rearwardly, rocking rack 21 in a clockwise direction around pivot bearings 19. Wheel assemblies 20 are caused to move forward, rolling freely on their bearings 26, and the rear ends of draft beams 18 move downwardly, rocking tractor l clockwise a few degrees about its axle. In the lowermost position of draft beams 18 stop elements 25 attached thereto rest on legs 24 locking my apparatus in its loading position. Wheel assemblies 20 are cleared by upwardly bowed portion of draft beams 18. Ram 45, which is rigidly attached to draft beams 18, moves downwardly to its dotted line position in FIG. 5. Tractor 10 is maneuvered to align ram 45 with the eye of a coil to be loaded. Fluid is admitted to fluid motor 50 so as to rotate it counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 5. This motion is transmitted to latch member 47 by sprockets 51 and 52 and roller chain 53, causing latch 47 to rotate counterclockwise about pivot bearings 19 through an arc of 90 or more. End 46 of ram 45 is thus opened, and latch 47 moved so as to clear the coil to be loaded. Then tractor 10 is backed causing ram 45 to move into and through the eye of the coil. Fluid motor 50 is then caused to rotate in the opposite direction, swinging latch 47 downwardly until its collar 48 encircles end 46 of ram 45. Hydraulic fluid is admitted to fluid motor 32 so as to rotate it clockwise, which causes crank arms 38 to rotate in the same direction. This motion is transmitted by link 37 to cross member 27 of rack 21, rocking the rack counterclockwise about pivot bearings 19 and so raising draft beams 18. In the highest position of those beams stop 25 bears against the underside of projections 23, locking my apparatus in its traveling position and transmitting the load on ram 45 directly to rack 21.

In the traveling position of my apparatus the weight of the load is distributed between wheel assemblies 20 and the wheels of tractor 10. It will be evident that as rack 21 is rocked from its loading to its traveling position the load will bear heavily on wheel assemblies 20, so as to cause excessive deflection of their tires. The radius of quadrants 54 is therefore made great enough that quadrants 54 will act as Outriggers and bear on the ground or roadway during the overload portion of the rocking cycle. Skidding of quadrant 54 on the road may be avoided by setting the brakes in wheel assemblies 20 and releasing the brakes in the tractor. The rack 21 then pivots about the line of contact of the tires of wheel assemblies 20 and the road, and the tractor is moved forward or backward as the rack is rocked.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 10 is a modification of the coil-carrier embodiment previously described, adapted to transport scrap boxes or like containers. These latter are elongated open-top containers of rectangular cross section, closed at one end and usually open at the other. The open end is generally provided with a projecting chute. The box is constructed with a projecting trunnion on each side near its open end. Centrally located on its closed end, usually at the top, is a projecting clevis with a cross-pin. The boxes are designed to be lifted by an overhead crane having a pair of hooks spaced from each other on a spreader so as to engage and lift the trunnions on the open end of the scrap box. The clevis at the closed end is lifted by a hook from an auxiliary winch carried by the crane. In lifting the load box the open end is raised above the closed end and the box is transported in that position. The box is emptied by raising the closed end with the winch, which causes the box to pivot on its trunnions in the crane hooks.

My apparatus is similar to that previously described except that the ram, the latch and the operating means therefore, are absent and are replaced by mechanisms to be described. All elements which are the same in both embodiments are indicated in FIGS. 6 through 10 by the same reference characters used in FIGS. 1-5, inclusive.

Forward projections 23 of side members 22 of rack 21 are provided with elements 57 approximately parallel to legs 24 and extending away therefrom. The outer ends of elements 57 are connected by a tubular crossbrace 56 through a smaller diameter pivot 58 at each end. thereof. A link 37 connects each pivot 58 with a crank pin 41 in the outer end of a crank arm 38, each crank arm being carried by a stub shaft 31 journalled in a draft beam 18 intermediate its ends. Each stub shaft 31 is connected to a fluid motor 32 mounted within draft beam 18.

The scrap box-engaging mechanism comprises a pair of rearwardly opening hooks 39 attached to draft beams 18 and extending rearward of pivot bearings 19, and a rearwardly opening hook 40 attached at the center of a cross member 36 supported by draft beams 18 adjacent torque tube 17. Hooks 39 are dimensioned to accept the trunnions on a scrap box and hook'40 to accept the cross-pin of the scrap box clevis.

The operation of the above embodiment of my apparatus is similar in most respects to that of my coilcarrying apparatus previously described. The apparatus is put into its loading position of FIG. 8 by rocking rack 21 clockwise in the manner which has been previously described. After my trailer has been aligned with the scrap box, tractor 10 is backed, moving my trailer apparatus over the closed end of the scrap box until hooks 39 engages the trunnions near its open end. Hook 40 is positioned with respect to hooks 39 so that it engages the clevis of the scrap box when hooks 39 engage its trunnions. Rack 2l is then rocked counterclockwise, also in the manner which has been previously described, raising draft beams 18, hooks 39 and 40, and the scrap box carried by them into the traveling position shown in FIG. 7. The open end of the scrap box is raised higher than its closed end so that the box is transported by my apparatus in the same position it would be carried by a crane. Tubular cross member 36 of rack 21 spans the scrap box and rests thereon. When my apparatus has reached its destination, rack 21 is rocked to its unloading position in the way previously described for my coil-carrying apparatus, so depositing the scrap box on the ground. My apparatus is then pulled away from the box by tractor 10.

in the foregoing specification I have described presently preferred embodiments of my invention; however, it will be understood that my invention can be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Trailer apparatus adapted for carrying coils of steel strip and the like comprising a pull yoke, a pair of draft beams spaced from each other connected with the pull yoke and extending rearwardly therefrom, a loadstraddling rack including a pair of legs, a wheel assembly journaled at the lower end of each leg, outwardly thereof, a cross member spacing the upper ends of the legs, means pivotally mounting the rack between the draft beams at the upper ends of the legs so as to rock from a traveling position in which the legs are upright to a loading position in which the legs are folded forwardly against the draft beams, and a ram adapted to support a coil of steel strip through the eye thereof affixed at one end to the draft beams adjacent the pull yoke and extending rearwardly thereof below the draft beams and substantially parallel thereto.

2. Apparatus of claim 1 including latch means pivotally mounted on the draft beams so as to swing from a position in which those means support the open end of the ram to a position in which they clear the ram.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 including means for rocking the rack about its pivots.

4. Apparatus of claim 1 including stop means depending from the draft beams adjusted to rest on the legs of the rack when it is in its loading position.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the legs of the rack have forwardly-extending projections at their upper ends adapted to rest on the draft beams when the rack is in its traveling position.

6. Apparatus of claim 5 in which the forwardly extending projections are inclined at approximately right angles to the legs.

7. Apparatus of claim 5 in which the rack cross member is positioned between the forward ends of the forwardly-extending projections.

8. Apparatus of claim 7 including means for rocking the rack about its pivots connected with the rack cross member.

9. Apparatus of claim 1 including a segmental plate affixed to the wheel assembly end of each leg coaxial with the wheel axis and with its circumference extending away from the leg. 

1. Trailer apparatus adapted for carrying coils of steel strip and the like comprising a pull yoke, a pair of draft beams spaced from each other connected with the pull yoke and extending rearwardly therefrom, a load-straddling rack including a pair of legs, a wheel assembly journaled at the lower end of each leg, outwardly thereof, a cross member spacing the upper ends of the legs, means pivotally mounting the rack between the draft beams at the upper ends of the legs so as to rock from a traveling position in which the legs are upright to a loading position in which the legs are folded forwardly against the draft beams, and a ram adapted to support a coil of steel strip through the eye thereof affixed at one end to the draft beams adjacent the pull yoke and extending rearwardly thereof below the draft beams and substantially parallel thereto.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 including latch means pivotally mounted on the draft beams so as to swing from a position in which those means support the open end of the ram to a position in which they clear the ram.
 3. Apparatus of claim 1 including means for rocking the rack about its pivots.
 4. Apparatus of claim 1 including stop means depending from the draft beams adjusted to rest on the legs of the rack when it is in its loading position.
 5. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the legs of the rack have forwardly-extending projections at their upper ends adapted to rest on the draft beams when the rack is in its traveling position.
 6. Apparatus of claim 5 in which the forwardly extending projections are inclined at approximately right angles to the legs.
 7. Apparatus of claim 5 in which the rack cross member is positioned between the forward ends of the forwardly-extending projections.
 8. Apparatus of claim 7 including means for rocking the rack about its pivots connected with the rack cross member.
 9. Apparatus of claim 1 including a segmental plate affixed to the wheel assembly end of each leg coaxial with the wheel axis and with its circumference extending away from the leg. 